·If the SpaceX giant rocket "Starship" can be launched regularly and safely, the cost of launching scientific experiments and telescopes into space can be greatly reduced. It can allow multiple space telescopes to be launched at the same time and form an array to detect the universe. Since there is no need to worry about the weight of the telescope, engineers can also use cheaper materials to build the telescope.
SpaceX giant rocket "starship" may make new astrophysics and planetary science a reality.
The SpaceX "Star Ship", originally scheduled for the orbital level first flight test on April 17, is currently scheduled to launch on April 20 due to the freezing of the pressure valve. According to the report on April 17 on the official website of the international authoritative scientific journal Nature, in addition to transporting astronauts to the moon and Mars, "starships" can also launch heavy scientific payloads such as telescopes and starships in the future, promoting the realization of new astrophysics and planetary science.
The SpaceX fully reusable transport system "Starship" is composed of the first stage "overweight" rocket and the second stage "starship" spacecraft. The overall height is 120 meters and the diameter is 9 meters. It can send 150 tons of payload into low Earth orbit, 5-10 times the carrying capacity of other rockets. If the "starship" can be launched regularly and safely, the cost of launching scientific experiments and telescopes into space can be greatly reduced.
Since the "Star Ship" is larger than other rockets, it means that each flight can more easily accommodate more scientific research. For example, the main mirror of the James Weber Space Telescope is 6.5 meters in diameter. If it is launched by a "starship", it will no longer be necessary to fold the telescope to adapt to rocket space. The previous mode of folding the James Webb Space Telescope during launch and spreading it out in space makes things more complicated. The large space of "Starship" can allow multiple space telescopes to be launched at the same time to form an array to detect the universe. Since there is no need to worry about the weight of the telescope, engineers can also use cheaper materials to build the telescope.
In the field of planetary science, SpaceX founder Mask expects to build more than 1000 "starships" to transport life to Mars and build a self-sufficient city on Mars. NASA also plans to use Musk's "starship" to send humans back to the moon. NASA plans to launch astronauts to the moon with its own space launch system (SLS) rocket, and then transfer the astronauts to the "starship" and descend to the moon surface. "Starship" can replenish fuel in lunar orbit and return to the moon surface.
According to Nature, this flight will make Starship the strongest rocket ever to leave the earth's surface. However, researchers also said that there is still a long way to go to prove the value of "starships". "Even if this test flight is completely successful, there are still many things to prove." Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said, including demonstrating that the "starship" can fly back to Earth after launch and be reused in future missions.
The first flight test of "Starship" orbital level is not intended to verify the reusability. After taking off from southern Texas, the "Starship" will enter the earth orbit and fly eastward. The "overweight" rocket booster will fall into the Gulf of Mexico. The remaining "Starship" spacecraft will fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean, the southern tip of Africa and the Indian Ocean, and finally splash down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.
(Original title: Nature: Star ships have strong handling capacity and lower cost, which is conducive to the realization of new space research)
